First Day of Autumn/Exploring Stonington

Another gentle start to a lovely day. We discussed the next few days, talked with the campground staff about local things to see, and opted to add a day here.

Lunch was trying out W.A. Bean & Sons Maine Red Snapper Dogs. We found them in a local grocery store, along with Frankfurt Buns – really cool hot dog buns that are split on the top instead of along the side – and they are all joined together like little mini loaves of bread. They were…interesting…the visual of bright red, almost DayGlo, hot dogs (not spicy or anything) is different. After lunch, we set out to explore Stonington. Stonington is a small fishing/lobstering village to the west of Mount Desert Island. It was recommended after we asked to see something “less touristy” than the Bar Harbor area.

The drive was lovely – but we are pretty sure there is no flat land in this part of the country. Everything is either uphill or downhill. Along the way, we passed two – count them – TWO yarn shops. Bill offered to stop – but I was grown-up and all adultish about it and declined the opportunity. Besides – I have so many projects to complete right now that another one might put me over the edge.

We have learned in this particular area that the GPS seems to differ quite a bit from where things are actually located. So for part of the trip, I was the navigator/map reader. Bill made the comment that my map reading skills have improved considerably over the past 31 years – that I was really hesitant at first. We had a good laugh as I shared the reason for that. Whenever my Dad and I would travel – which was pretty frequently for fishing, tackle shops, and going “up north” – if the trip involved a map, we could count on getting lost. As I told Bill, if we tried to use a map to navigate around our neighborhood – we would likely end up in a different city. It didn’t matter who was driving and who was navigating, nor did it matter that we were both pilots and did fine in the air. We would have a good laugh about it, toss the maps in the back of the car, and either ask of directions or just fumble our way around until we “found” ourselves. Wonderful memories to share.

So, we found ourselves on Caterpillar Hill with a scenic overlook – and stopped for a quick look.

We switched drivers so that Bill could have a chance to look around, and I ended up having to drive across this bridge:

It was pretty narrow, and had a weight/distance restriction. Then a curvy causeway, a little stone causeway – and on to Stonington. Huge old houses, lots of fishing boats, two local restaurants, two gifts shops, and a post office. We walked Main Street – about ½ mile. Bill treated me to some Stonington Ice Cream – Moose Tracks (still haven’t seen any moose!) as we sat and watched the world go by.

Here are some views from today: